SABARIMALA: The hill abode of Lord Ayyappa here will be reopened on Wednesday for the Makaravilaku festival, marking the 21-day long concluding phase of the annual pilgrimage season.
The Sreekovil of the temple will be opened at 5.30 pm by Melsanthi Sankaran Nampoothiri in the presence of Thantri Mahesh Mohanaru. As an ongoing practice of the temple, no rituals will be conducted at the Sreekovil in the evening.
The annual Pettathullal at Erumely, marking the celebration of the victory by Lord Ayyappa over demon Mahishi, will be held on January 12.To begin with, the pettathullal by the 500-member Ambalappuzha team led by periyor Chandrasekharan Nair will be taken out from Erumely Petta Sree Dharma Sastha temple at 12 noon after sighting Krishnaparunthu on the sky above the temple.
The pettathullal team, after pasting colours on their face, on arrival in front of the temple gate of Erumely Sree Dharma Sastha temple, will be given a traditional reception under the leadership of Travancore Devaswom Board president Paryar Gopalakrishnan and members P K Kumaran and Ajay Tharayil and devaswom commissioner C P Ramaraja Prema Prasad.
The ritual will conclude after offering worship of the Lord after circumabulating the Nalambalam.
The pettathullal by the 300-member Alangattu team led Vijayakumar will be taken out of the Petta temple after witnessing the star above the temple at 2 pm.
Pasting sandalwood pulp on the forehead of the team members, the Alangattu team will conclude the ritual after offering paryaers at the Valiya Sastha temple at 4 pm.
The Thiruvabaharanam procession, the attire in gold to be adorned on the idol of Lord Ayyappa on the Makaravilaku day on January 15, will be taken out from Pandalam Valiyakoickal temple at 1 pm on January 13. The Makaravilakku ceremony, the darsan of Lord Ayyappa after adorning the Thiruvabharanam on the idol of Lord Ayyappa, will be held at 6.30 pm on January 15.
The hill shrine will be closed on January 20 after offering worship by the representative of Pandalam valiaya raja at 7 am on January 20.